Back Again
by Zander L. Jones
Summary: Many things are left unsaid after the Narada are destroyed. Jim as Acting Captain must bring the Enterprise back to safety. How well will he deal with both the mental and physical aftermaths of the past few days? And how will his friends respond to learning about his Delta Vega adventures?
1. Chapter 1

"Captain."

"…Captain. Are you well?" Came his First Officer's voice drifting in and pulling him from his dampened state.

Kirk started and sluggishly looked up to see Spock standing poised next to him. "Yes, of course Commander. Was just resting my eyes a moment." He said, keeping any inflection that could show his discomfort out of his response, knowing that the entire bridge was not so secretly listening in.

"Captain, I estimate it has been approximately 48 hours since you last fully 'rested your eyes' as you were doing a moment ago. Since your journey to collect Captain Pike you have also not been attended to by medical." Spock continued, nonplussed by Jim's stubbornness. Seeing Jim rearrange his features as he sat in the Captain's seat, poised to strike back at Spock's comment he tried a different tactic. "Would it not be prudent to also restore your energy, perhaps with a meal?"

At that suggestion Kirk raised one suspicious eyebrow. "If you hadn't noticed Spock I am now the acting Captain of this ship and as such my first priority is to her and her crew." Kirk said, trying to keep the frustration from rearing its head too significantly.

"And it is my duty as your first officer to make you and your wellbeing _my_ priority. I shall accompany you to the Mess if you desire?" Spock said, leaving just enough room in his words to make it sound like a suggestion rather than a statement.

Kirk drew one hand over the side of his weary face, thinking over the offer. He was pretty beat, literally, from the whirlwind of everything happening in so short amount of time. Heck, he went from Vulcan to Delta Vega and back to the Enterprise within a two day time period, in which he hadn't slept nor could he remember his last meal. Kirk figured if he went to Mess then he could at least hide from Bones awhile longer before the man sought him out like a missile ready to explode.

"Alright Spock. Let's go get some grub." The Acting Captain grumbled out. "Mr. Sulu, you have the conn." He appointed as he stood, which ended up being not a great thing to do so swiftly. His vision whirred and he felt himself starting to stumble when his elbow was firmly but gently grasped, steadying him. Taking my only a moment to regain his composure, Kirk looked at Spock and gave a charming grin that turned out to look more sheepish than anything.

Spock merely lifted an eyebrow and slowly released the Captain, motioning for him to lead the way off the Bridge. After staggering over and onto the turbo lift, a more resigned Kirk appeared. When the doors closed behind them Kirk leaned against the lift's wall and let out an exhausted huff, mind roving constantly over the events of the last few days. Being sneaked on board, the implosion of Vulcan, Delta Vega, the other Spock, Captain Pike being taken, the Narada and the black hole, all of it on double speed replaying in his mind on repeat. He hadn't even noticed that when he had stepped off the lift and started walking that he was cautiously being led in the opposite direction of the mess hall until he saw the blue tinted doors of Sick Bay.

"Oh no. No way Spock." He said, starting to back away and turn back to the lift. "I am not—"

"Oh yes you are Kid." Came the familiar southern drawl of the now CMO. Kirk shot Spock a glare before facing Bones, squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin. "You can give Spock all the death glares you want _Captain_ but you are coming with me." Bones said as he walked the short distance to the pair.

"I agree with Doctor McCoy, Captain. It would be most wise…" Kirk's hearing chose that inopportune time to start fizzing in and out. He tried focusing on what Spock was saying so as not to alert the two who were assessing him that he wasn't feeling the best.

"Look Spock, Bones," he was sure he had interrupted the Vulcan mid sentence but didn't really care. He needed to get himself under control before he lost it altogether. "I'm fine, really, I'll just go and grab a sandwich _like you suggested_." Giving Spock a pointed look at his small betrayal, leading him astray.

Bones took another step closer, quietly assessing his friend as he did so. As gruff as ever, he started, "Jim, honestly you look like hell and you need to be treated. A sandwich is not gonna heal those cuts, bruises and god knows what else is wrong with you that I can't see."

Once again Kirk stood contemplating his options. He could hardly think straight with the fatigue that was catching up to him and slowly sinking into his thoughts. Even now he stood leaning more and more on the rail of the hallway than on his own two feet.

With more gentleness than Spock had ever thought possible to be in the doctor's voice, Bones made a final attempt. "C'mon Jimbo, let me just look at ya, for as much as your sake as mine." He said as he placed a guiding hand on Jim's shoulder and passing a knowing glance to Spock, silently thanking him for leading their stubborn captain there.

Jim gave a minuscule nod to Bones and let himself be guided into Sick Bay and onto a biobed.

 **Few more chapters to come.. Review if you please.**


	2. Chapter 2

As Spock entered slightly behind the pair, Bones settled Jim on the firm bed and drew the curtain.

"I should have known something was up when you offered to have a meal with me." Jim pouted, looking at the his CO.

"And yet you didn't realize when we were headed in the opposite direction of the Mess hall, which only warrants your need to be precisely right here." Spock said, placing his hands behind his back with poise.

Bones came back over to where Jim was hunched over on the bed, this time holding his Tricorder in hand and waving it smoothly over Jim. Kirk knew he was in for it when Bones was quiet. He would take the rude insults or the rough smacks to the head any day over a silent Bones.

"…Bones." He said hesitantly, trying to ignore the pain that had been surfacing since Spock got him out of his chair on the bridge. "Would you just say something instead of fiddling with that equipment?" Jim said, straining to lighten the mood.

The doctor turned back to Jim ready to tear him a new one, but stopped when he saw the pure exhaustion written all over his friend. "Jim, I don't even know how you're conscious at this point. Three bruised ribs, moderate damage to your trachea, a mild concussion, contusions and bruises covering the majority of your body, a strained calf muscle, bruised kidney, and how the hell did you get frostbite? And for the love of god lay down before you fall right off the bed." He said as he pushed both Jim's shoulders down so he was lying flat which only aggravated the claw marks on Jim's back.

"Bones… I don't actually..feel too good." Kirk started mumbling, turning himself on his side inconspicuously, as Bones was already inserting a hypo for pain and to alleviate some of that swelling around his friend's neck.

"No shit kid." He said softly. "You should have come to me the moment we were out of the line of fire." Bones' hands were continuously moving, hooking Jim up or waving equipment and scans over him before he started his exam.

Until then Spock had remained a quiet observant eye. "Doctor, although I don't condone the captain's actions of refusing to seek medical attention, I do believe that he had the ship's interests in mind."

Both Kirk and Bones slightly turned their heads to look at Spock who might have just given Jim a compliment. "Furthermore, although we may have escaped the black hole, we are by no means 'out of the line of fire' as you say." Bones gave a noncommittal grunt in reply.

Jim's heart rate now supplied the only noise in the exam room. As Bones manually examined his longtime friend, there were only hisses and grunts of pain coming from Jim who was quickly fading in and out. "Jim, hey, can you lift your shirt up? I need to look at your back for the kidneys and bruising."

When he didn't receive a reply he looked at Jim's face then quickly to the monitors.

"Doctor?" Spock asked, taking a small step forward.

"He's just sleeping, not unconscious." McCoy sighed, looking much older than he was, Spock noticed.

"Can I be of any further assistance before I return to the bridge?"

"Yeah, quick before you head off can you just help me sit him up and get his shirt off?" McCoy asked, already positioned in front of Jim to steady him.

"Of course. Gently on three?" With a nod from McCoy they swung a groggy Kirk into a seated position on the biobed, receiving an incoherent mumble from the patient.

"Almost done Jimmy. Then I'll hypo your ass so bad you'll be a regular sleeping beauty for the next twenty hours."

"..m' ship.." Kirk said as he leaned heavily against Bones' shoulder as he sat barely awake already.

Spock responded from behind, hands still steadying the Captain's shoulders. "Be rest assured Captain, I and the rest of the crew shall endeavor to get us safely back to base. We are already on our way and waiting on our Starfleet correspondence."

 _Starfleet correspondence. Why did that sound so familiar to Jim? He'd definitely heard that phrasing somewhere before. A vision of another Spock came to mind, but not his Spock. This other Spock, he looked at Jim with a sort of wonder in his eyes as he said the same line in another time. What-_

Bones eyed the monitors above Kirk's slumped head that were slightly rising. "Hey, you still with us Kid?" I'm gonna switch positions with Spock okay, I need to take a look at your back." With only a grunt in response and another nod from the doctor, Bones and Spock switched positions, walking around the biobed.

This time as Spock placed his hand on Jim's shoulder he felt something, almost a spark or sizzle. It was only a momentary transference but he could feel Jim's confusion that was irritating the Captain more than anything.

"Captain, what?" Spock started but was interrupted by Doctor McCoy who had just lifted Jim's shirt up.

"Good god man! Why didn't you start with 'there are three large gouge-like claw marks running the length of my back' you idiot!" The doctor harrumphed.

"..'s not nice Bones." Jim managed to mumble.

"These have torn your back to hell and are surrounded with frost bite and I'm. It even going to mention the risk of infection these pose." Bones ground out, as he prodded at the edges of each mark. "Where did you get these?" He started filling another hypo with one of the few anti-pyretics that Jim wasn't allergic to and prepared to clean the wounds.

Jim looked up at Spock, unable to keep the guilt from his face as he tried to spare his First Officer from having to explain, but wasn't quick enough. Spock needed only a moment to put two and two together and could almost, almost feel a twinge of emotion within himself.

"I believe that would be my fault doctor." Spock said, trying to keep his voice void of emotion as he took responsibility for his Captain's condition. Bones merely peered around Jim, giving Spock a look that said 'explain'. "Earlier, I had assumed that the then _Cadet_ Kirk was acting out of line in terms of Starfleet regulations and protocols. You may recall that I ordered the Captain into an evac pod and sent him away. I believe that the 'away' was where these injuries were sustained." Spock said, looking slightly away and if Jim didn't know any better, he could read an infinitesimal amount of remorse shining through the Vulcan's eyes.

Before Bones could go to bat for his pal, Jim responded with more coherence than the two on either side of him would have expected. "Spock. Listen to me. I am so sorry, about what I said. I.. I know you loved her. She knew you loved her." He stressed the last part the most and as he did he could see the stony barrier keeping emotion out and logic in being placed up again within the Vulcan. Jim's own strength was starting to dwindle again, his body basically revolting against his need to converse coherently. "..Spock. I'm sorry." He finished as he hung his head, possibly too tired to hold it up any longer.

The room was again silent besides the monitors that made Kirk feel just a little overexposed. "I forgive you Captain." Spock finally said sincerely, making Jim quickly look up, a small tired smile forming on his face, but was quickly replaced with a somber determination.

Jim placed his own shaky hand on Spock's shoulder and surprised all three of them in the room when he spoke, _"I grieve with thee_." in perfect Vulcan.

Before Spock or Bones could respond, Jim promptly curled in on himself and would have fallen completely forward if not for both the doctor's and his first commander's hands placing him back fully on his side, on the biobed he would soon come to frequent often.

 **Didn't plan on this being written so quick but the reviews sure spurred me on! More about Delta Vega to come!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _"…dare you to do better.."_

 _Vulcan exploding._

"Jim."

" _Let's call him Jim."_

 _Spock's hands around his throat._

 _"Hello old friend."_

"Jim! Wake up!"

Blazing blue eyes snapped open with a gasp. Jim bolted upright, hissing as his back send radiating reminders of his adventures.

"Jim, you're alright. You were dreamin'." Bones comforted, retaking his seat next to Jim's bed.

"Weren't dreams." He mumbled shortly. "…Time is it?"

"Oh no. No work for you. You're raising yourself a nice temperature and until that's gone there's to be no mention whatsoever of anything with this ship." Bones rambled, taking Jim's pulse the old fashion way. "How you feelin' Jimmy?"

"Like a giant snow beast clawed me up one side and down the other." Jim said, trying to reposition himself in the bed.

"So that's how the frost bite happened?" Bones asked, raising an eyebrow, much like his First Officer.

Wow. His First Officer. Everything had been happening so fast. No time to process. When he wasn't being strangled on the bridge he was being shot at on enemy ships. Had he done better? Is this what Pike—

Bones could see Jim's eyes coming back into focus.

"Pike! How's Captain Pike? Bones—"

"Jim," Now both of Bones' hands were on him, trying to get him to relax, "you need to calm down. Your stats are off the charts."

Jim was resisting, getting more tangled up in his sheets by the moment.

"Don't make me sedate you Kid. You know I'll have to." Bones said sadly, keeping an eye on the monitors while gently wrestling with Jim's moving arms.

"I…I want to talk to Pike. He's okay right?" Jim asked, his voice so childlike and eyes bright from fever.

Bones' heart panged at his friend's lost look as he started to settle down. "Yeah Kid, he's gonna be okay. You need to get some rest though, need to sleep this off."

Kirk was quickly loosing his battle with consciousness as he settled into the bed in the now quiet Sickbay. Bones couldn't resist running a hand through Jim's hair, helping him relax even more. The southern doctor let out a quiet sigh as he pulled his chair closer to Jim, helping them both relax.

After a few minutes Kirk opened his eyes again. "…Can you get Spock for me?" He asked so quietly Bones wouldn't have heard if he wasn't just a few inches from Jim, still running his hands through Jim's hair.

He was a bit taken aback by the request but Kirk's eyes had only been open when asking. "First, you sleep. Then I'll see if the hobgoblin is available for ya."

"Mmk. Oh wait no. Bones, can you get him now? It's important…Vulcan. It's gone." It wasn't the concern Jim showed for the man who accused him of cheating and later strangled him that worried Bones. No, it was the fact that tears now streamed down either side of Jim's exhausted face.

"Jim… I know a lot of lives were lost but I'm trying to keep you alive and to do so you need rest, I'm serious Kid, just sleep and I'll get him the next time you're awake."

Kirk only nodded, not wanting to speak in case his overwhelming emotions broke through. He simply burrowed into the bed, trying to focus on Bones' cool hands and not on the loss of millions he for some reason felt so deeply.

 **Although this one is short, it just felt like a good place to end. Next one should be pretty quick. Spock, emotional transference, and more dreams to come. One Tribble dies every time you don't review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I want to thank everyone for the reviews, thoughts, and anticipation. I tend to let my stories taper off but this one people seem to keep wanting more so I am happy to oblige! Without further ado...**

Chapter 4

Bones could tell it was well into the night without having to look at the clock on the wall. He got out of his chair next to the sleeping Kirk's bed, his back creaking slightly as he did so. He walked around to Jim's other side, slowly lifting the blanket off Jim's left arm to check some of his deeper cuts.

"I've been in this position too many times kid- checking your wounds while you're none the wiser." He mumbled to himself. "You just had to go and save the world." Bones was about to put some wound care oil upon Jim's arm when two sharp knocks made him startle. "Mr. Spock, what can I do for you?"

Spock entered the acting captain's room at the greeting. "I merely wished to check the status of the Captain."

Continuing with what he was doing, Bones replied, "He was in and out for a while but more out than anything now. His fever hasn't gone down any and his blood count confirms he's got a low-grade infection which I'm keeping an eye on. Not to mention the various soft tissue damage done." He added, pointedly looking back up at Spock.

"It was rather ingenious on his part, causing a reaction from me." Spock said, taking a few steps closer to Jim's bedside.

Bones let out a snort as he started rewrapping Jim's forearm. "I'd say idiotic if you ask me. All it got him was a bruised windpipe and a minute of reduced oxygen intake."

"On the contrary doctor, I believe it was a successful attempt to emotionally compromise me, resulting in his accelerated promotion to—"

"Captain." Bones breathed out, his hands momentarily stilled. "Well I think we're both right. Ingenious and idiotic, two perfect ways to describe Jim here."

"Was Spock's idea, not mine." A quiet voice said, just above a whisper.

Spock raised an eyebrow but before he could ask, Jim was shuffling in his bed and continued talking. "Not you though Spock…other Spock. But shh.. I can't tell this Spock. Universe might collapse." Jim mumbled, eyebrows frowning in his confused thoughts.

Bones glanced at Spock, trying to gauge if he understood the meaning behind the Captains mumbles. If at any other time Bones would have seen the look of surprise on the Vulcan's face he wouldn't have been able to contain himself but at this moment, he had other concerns.

"Hey Jim? Can you look at me? I just want to check you over a moment okay." Jim opened his fever-clouded eyes and turned towards Bones. "That's it. Okay can you follow the light?" He asked as he brought his penlight back and forth. "Normal pupillary response and there was only a slight indication of a concussion." Bones said, more to himself than Spock.

Jim turned back towards Spock, his eyes open now. "We're gonna be great friends Spock. M'sorry you were bullied; I won't do that." He promised. He glanced at Bones who had taken hold of his wrist again to manually take his pulse, but Spock got Jim's attention.

"Captain, how were you able to discern such issues from my childhood? There is no recorded evidence for you to gain this insight from." Spock said, his voice sounding rather strained for a Vulcan. But Jim continued on without noticing.

"I's _not_ a disadvantage to be half human, Spock." Jim was able to focus long enough to make eye contact as he said this to Spock. Jim moved his hand to rest on Spock's forearm to convey as much comfort as possible. As soon as he made contact with Spock, they, along with an unsuspecting McCoy, were pulled into an indescribable stream of visions.

 _A scene of the bridge illuminated in their minds._ Both Spock and Bones could tell there were minor differences in the layout and displays at work, not to mention a few strange faces. _A slightly older looking Spock and Jim exited the turbolift, their arrival marked by a "Captain on the bridge" announcement. Jim's hand was fondly resting on Spock's shoulder as they went to their individual chairs. A science officer dressed in a sky blue dress came up, handing over a padd to the Captain with a soft smile._ Both men noticed the genuine smile that broke over the Captain's face as he realized who was next to him. _"Commander." He greeted. "Captain." She replied, her eyes sparkling as much as his. He signed his name and handed the form back, not another word passing between them, but a smile never leaving either of their faces._

Just as quick as the first, more scenes flashed by. _The Enterprise docking at new worlds, other times the landing party just beaming down, all visions containing an irritated Spock having to go after an anything-but-innocent looking Captain Kirk as they dealt with new species. Sometimes they were being chased down and other times they were doing the chasing._

 _Spock and Bones seated day after day, sometimes accompanied by Jim and sometimes not, actually enjoying each other's company as they ate dinner, exchanging fond insults, in the Mess Hall. Jim and Spock playing countless games of chess in each other's quarters, seemingly ageing before their eyes appeared next._

 _Another flash showed the crew, maybe looking twenty years older, getting into a firefight with a pack of Klingons in an unfamiliar setting. Suddenly back aboard the Enterprise, the aged trio seemed to head in separate directions, wordlessly because no words were needed between the three. Another flash and a wave of pain accompanied the vision as it changed to show a dying Kirk wrapped in Spock's arms as they softly spoke to each other, the rest of the world fading into the background. Doctor McCoy had come running, useless medical bag in hand as he kneeled and watched the light leave his best friend's eyes, only having time to exchange a few short words._

 _An older looking Spock, McCoy and a few other bridge crew appeared on stage, receiving commendations and awards. Spock becoming an Ambassador was quickly showed. Spock traveled logically and selflessly alone on a ship equipped to destroy a Romulan fleet with Red Matter appeared, as they passed through a supernova, ending the visions with a blinding light._

When the three came out of the visions they were breathing heavily, especially Jim who was having trouble keeping his eyes open.

"What the hell was that?!" Bones nearly screeched as he looked back and forth from Spock to Jim.

Promptly ignoring the doctor's eloquent question, Spock looked directly at Jim who had pulled his hand back. "How have you seen the future?" He nearly demanding, needing to make sense of what was seen.

Jim took a moment to catch his breath, overall pain seemingly increasing. "…'S not _our_ future. Other Spock…" He started coughing, still not able to settle down, his heart rate steadily rising, spurring the doctor to action. "..Bones..I can't.."

"I got you kid. Hold on, try to breathe." With practiced ease, a hypo filled with both an analgesic and sedative was inserted into Jim's neck, having almost an instant reaction. Jim sank slightly back into the bed, his coughing settling and gasps for air becoming farther apart.

With eyes shining of unshed tears, Jim looked at both his friends and sadly said, "I didn't…didn't want you to see the bad parts…"

"Oh Jim," Bones sighed, putting his hand on Jim's shoulder, lightly squeezing it, "it wasn't all bad."

 **Review if you please. Not only did I get a couple of messages asking about this story that spurred me on but also I girl came in to my work today wearing a straight-up gold captain cardigan with the Starfleet insignia. Until next time!**


End file.
